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The Orphic Hymns
the Orphic tradition · Hymn 43, lines 7–9 · Playmates of Persephone
43.7
The Orphic Hymns 43.7 · Playmates of Persephone
The Seasons are Persephone's playmates. Each year the Fates and the Graces bring her back up from the dead in a dance, to please Zeus and her mother Demeter.
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συμπαίκτορες1
sympaíktores
playmates
ἁγνῆς2
hagnês
of holy
Φερσεφόνης3
Phersephónēs
Persephone
, εὖτέ4
eûté
when
Μοῖραι5
Moîrai
the Fates
καὶ6
kaì
and
Χάριτες7
Chárites
the Graces
ἀνάγωσι8
anágōsi
lead
ἑ9
he
her
ποτὶ10
potì
up to
φῶς11
phôs
the light
κυκλίοισι12
kyklíoisi
in circling
χοροῖς13
choroîs
dances
, χαριζόμεναι14
charizómenai
pleasing
Ζηνὶ15
Zēnì
Zeus
καὶ16
kaì
and
καρποδοτείρῃ17
karpodoteírēi
the fruit-givinggiver of fruit
μητέρι18
mētéri
mother
; playmates of holy Persephone, when the Fates and the Graces lead her up to the light in circling dances, pleasing Zeus and the fruit-giving mother;
playmates of holy Persephone, when the Fates and the Graces lead her up to the light in circling dances, pleasing Zeus and the fruit-giving mother;
Interpretation
playmates of holy Persephone, when the Fates and the Graces lead her up to the light in circling dances, to please Zeus and the mother who gives the fruits of the earth;
In the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, Persephone was picking flowers with the daughters of Ocean when Hades carried her off. Here her playmates are the Seasons, and the hymn to Persephone (29) returns the compliment, calling her "playmate of the Seasons". Her return each year is spring itself: the Homeric hymn says that she comes up from the dark "when the earth blooms with every kind of fragrant spring flower", and in this hymn the Fates and the Graces lead her up in a circle dance.
43.10
The Orphic Hymns 43.10 · Come to the rites of the new initiates
The prayer: come to the rites of the newly initiated, and bring each season in its time, with its fruit.
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come to the holy rites of good omen for the new initiates, bringing on, without fault, the fruitful births of the seasons.